The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-05-26

o secure pass TO enter Wltnln It's |
old walls. However,
our of US, through the kindness Of
IN x-army officers wife, obtained a
permit to explore with guide and |
orch under the protection oil the
officers in command. The fort Gov
RS four acres of ground and is
Quilt of coquina. It's walls are
twenty one feet thick, with four
Dastions at each corner, and com
maEds the city, the harbor, and the
sea entrance. Sixty years were
consumed in building it. 1t is said
coquina IS superior 10 stone, mas
much as q cannon ball will not
split it, but imbeds i'll the sand and
shell, which adds rather than de-
tt acts from its strength. The Indians
detained here number 456. We saw
among them Geronimo's wife. She
is not an inviting parsonage. Cru
eler features were never seen. Fore
head low and scowling, chin re-
treating and eyes malicious,
mouth straight and tight, without
one softening line. You cannot for
get such a face and would not he
glad to meet it in a solitary wood.
We were told she had several scalps
in her wigWam. We did not see
them. Some Of the men are fine
specimens of u anhood, the squaws
generally revolving in appearance.
Much of their ZINE is spent in per-
sonal adjournment which consists in
daubing red and yellow paint over
their faces and wearing long bead
earrings. The rest of their toilet
is sadly neglected. Even the ba-
bie3 are so adorned and often 9th
erwise perfectly nude. We did not
care to see the Indians so much as
the fort, SO our guide moves on to
one Of the easements. There he
points out a chapel and inches for
vessels OF holy water. In another
easement platform five feet high on
which the judge sat when delin-
luents were brought before him
for trial. Then to the dungeons,
black as "outer Darkness" damp,
mouldy, narrow and low; every
where above and below was stone,
stone, solid stone. There the poor
wretches sentenced by the stern tri
bunal were thrust. AS we enter the
first dungeon there are the spikes
(above them once hung the cruel
ix) 10 which the victims with a
band Of iron around his or her loins
were hung up to repent or abjure
his faith.
Leaving this, the torches pre-
ceding us, we bend almost double
to pass through low, narrow arch
IN the wall to the second dungeon
where the most cruel and atrocious
scenes have been enacted, scenes
that blanch the cheek and curdle
,he blood OF the stoutest heart.
There once were iron cages, coffin
shaped with condemned victims In
:arcerated in them swung to walls to
lie by inches with thirst and star
yation. In one of them was a deli
cate skeleton, supposed to be that
Of q woman. On the third finger
Vas plain gold ring. The other
ron cage contained a stouter skele-
ton. The floor was strewn with
bones, human bones. The low
narrow door that led TO this once
living tomb was sealed up and de-
,ected of late years by some curious
one prying around, and opened ;
lence the horrible discovery of the
leeds committed in the long ago.
Many of the bones had crumbled,
and 1t is believed that the victims
we're sent to this living tomb to
perish when condemned AS years
vent by, when q more liberia
lynasty came to reign, the place
vas sealed up as any tomb would
ne to hide the CHASTITY sight from
human eyes.
Only conjecture, or partly so. No
one can tell the why's and where
tores of these feFocious, diabolical,
wholesale crimes committed, per
haps in the name of religion, JUS
lice! Many whisper that it was 3
branch of the inquisition Of crueI
Did Spain, and possibly it may have
! been. Who knows? The bones
have been gathered up and put
away. The iron cages, parts that
nave escaped the rust and decay,
together with curious iron gag
taken from the dungeons, can be
seen as relics Of the barbarity and
fenaticism committed in the city in
the long ago. Escaping from the
gloom of the place and the recital
of it's terrorist did not do as q gen
tleman of the party said he must
| 90 and do-get glass of brandy to
rid him of his Queerness. l went
for a walk on the old sea- wall for a
good breath and to listen in tire
| purple twilight to the moan of the
ocean. One wave comes after an
| other and is dashed to pieces, like
human hopes, that only swell to be
disappointed. We advance-uu
springs the shining path of love OF
hope-'a moment white, then gone
forever"
Next morning our party steamed
down the Matanzas river out int
the Atlantic to the mouth of the ST
Johns river to visit Fort George
The pet island of Florida-for an
oyster and fish dinner fresh from
the waters.
The gentlemen fshed-this point
excels all places in the state for
successful fishing. The ladies took
carriages for a drive over the is
land, visiting the signal tower
which stands on the highest point
Of land on the coast south of New
Jersey. The island is a great health
resort, and owned principally by
wealthy men of the north. Then
dwellings and grounds are models oil
elegance. Its drives over splendid
shell-roads, through avenues Of
palmetto, myrtle, bay, mahogany
and other semi-tropical trees, are
| grand beyond description. Thous.
ands of sea-gu!,s, fiocks of pelicans
canvas back and mallard ducks, af
ford great sport to the hunts
| ~ Al.